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DeSantis to Trump: ‘I don’t spend my time trying to smear other Republicans’
Florida's Voice ^ | 08 Feb 2023 | Eric Daugherty

Posted on 02/08/2023 12:28:57 PM PST by Drew68

OCALA, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to former President Donald Trump’s ‘ReTruth’ of a post claiming the Florida governor is a “groomer,” in reference to a photo from left-wing media outlet MeidasTouch.

The response is one of the most direct ones he’s offered since Trump’s criticism began in late 2022, sparking with the former president’s nickname of the DeSantis being “Ron DeSanctimonious.”

“Governor, former President Trump yesterday made a series of posts on TRUTH Social directed at you some were insinuating that…” a reporter asked. DeSantis chimed in, “I get it, I get you guys want the controversy.”

The reporter asked the governor how his ideas on defamation legislation – promoting a venue of private action for false media reports that harm the reputations of individuals – would relate to posts like Trump’s.

“I have a platform to fight back a lot of these other people that are more little. They don’t necessarily have a platform to fight back,” he replied.

DeSantis said as governor, he would not spend time fighting defamation lawsuits; he also said he does not spend his time “trying to smear other Republicans.”

“And I’d also just say this, I spend my time delivering results for the people of Florida and fighting against Joe Biden. That’s how I spend my time,” DeSantis said. “I don’t spend my time trying to smear other Republicans.”

The day prior, before Trump’s ReTruths, DeSantis defended the former president on what he called the “Russian collusion hoax.”

“Well, I think the swan song has been this Russia collusion hoax because they indulged in that for for two years,” DeSantis said to a panel of lawyers and others who said they’re victim of defamation, like Covington Catholic Nicholas Sandmann.

“I mean, it all eventually was debunked and even in real time people were saying this, but they just kept cycling in this. And I think it just raises the question, you know, this obsession with these anonymous sources, where did that come from?” he said.

“It used to be rare that you would do it, I mean, to assassinate someone’s character with anonymous sources would have been a total no-no. Now it’s just kind of like a normal and actually the preferred method of being able to deliver content,” the governor said.

DeSantis has not named Trump directly in response to criticisms, but in January responded to attacks by citing his electoral landslide in 2022.

“I roll out of bed, I have people attacking me from all angles. It’s been happening for many, many years,” DeSantis said.

One criticism Trump pointed to was DeSantis’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

“If you take a crisis situation like COVID, the good thing about it is when you’re an elected executive, you have to make all kinds of decisions. You gotta steer that ship. And the good thing is that the people are able to render a judgment on that whether they reelect you or not,” he said.

“And I’m happy to say, you know, in my case, not only did we win reelection, we won with the highest percentage of the vote that any Republican governor candidate has in the history of the state of Florida.”

DeSantis defeated Democrat Charlie Crist by nearly 20 points.

He pointed to his margin being the “largest raw vote margin” than “any governor candidate” in the history of Florida. The margin was around 1.5 million votes.

“And so what I would just say is – that verdict has been rendered by the people of the state of Florida.”

Earlier in January, DeSantis defended the former president on his handling of classified documents in comparison to President Joe Biden.

DeSantis slammed Biden for going on 60 Minutes late last year saying Trump was “totally irresponsible” in how he handled storing classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

“He said that it was ‘incredibly reckless’ to have classified – he said all this stuff, you know, on 60 Minutes […] Now you find out he had them stashed behind his corvette at his house that Hunter had access to, which is definitely a security risk in my book,” DeSantis said.

“They had all this stuff to say [about Trump], now they’re acting [like] it’s not a big deal. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. You can’t have two different sets of rules based on your political party.“


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: 2024; babylonbee; desanctimonious; desantis; desantisshills; desantistouts; election2024; fl; florida; gop; groomer; marapogo; minime; okgroomer; reagans11thcommand; rondemitchschoice; rondepaulryanschoice; rondesantis; sweetsixteen; theorangehothead; thepickofthegopee; trump; trumpzheimers; truthisntasmear
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To: flaglady47

And Trump will lose. Again.


281 posted on 02/08/2023 8:30:04 PM PST by Clemenza
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To: Clemenza

So who would win? Only Trump has a chance.


282 posted on 02/08/2023 8:32:50 PM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: flaglady47

“should have one” = “should have won” above. Blew it.


283 posted on 02/08/2023 8:36:27 PM PST by flaglady47 (Trump knows where all the bodies lie - just sayin......)
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To: Clemenza

“And Trump will lose. Again.

Trump didn’t lose; the 2020 election was stolen, in case you didn’t notice. Or maybe you didn’t care. Never underestimate Trump. It is your opinion that will lose. Again.


284 posted on 02/08/2023 8:43:40 PM PST by flaglady47 (Trump knows where all the bodies lie - just sayin......)
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To: Drew68; All

How many times since and before President Reagan has the the base (that being the voter class rather than the donor class) been told we must solidify behind the feces-sandwiches that were served up by the GOPe because it was “their turn”?
Gerald Ford
Poppy Bush
I’m Bob Dole (The only one I don’t regret voting for)
Gorge
Ace McCain
Willard
Then, when an outsider that promised to do things and did what the base had been gagging for since 1988 wins, he was fought, thwarted, resisted and undermined in all ways and at every turn by his own party, only to be cheated out of a second term by their very same acquiescence to vote fraud.
If anyone, ever, should be given consideration as to whose turn it is, it is Donald Trump.
Let the best man win.


285 posted on 02/08/2023 8:44:49 PM PST by Kickaha (See the glory...of the royal scam )
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To: flaglady47

desantis issued a statement 3 weeks ago instructing people not to donate any money to any organization that claims he’s running for president in 2024...


286 posted on 02/09/2023 2:38:08 AM PST by heavy metal (smiling improves your face value and makes people wonder what the hell you're up to... 😁)
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To: Thilly Thailor

The Repub Gov Assn and the RNC are actively opposing Trump. DeSantis supporters in both orgs have been pushing him forward and denigrating Trump. Trump is counter punching. He is not a foolish or a stupid man.


287 posted on 02/09/2023 10:04:38 AM PST by Louis Foxwell (We are not fit to live free but must be enslaved to control the chaos of our unfettered appetites.)
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To: heavy metal

Easy to make a statement.

All signs to point to his running, some of them convoluted and covered, some quite obvious.

Our big problem is the fairness of the vote, not DeSantis.


288 posted on 02/09/2023 3:49:28 PM PST by firebrand
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To: firebrand

all signs point to you people prematurely ejaculating...

just like your prior pushing of the “safe and effective” experimental shots...


289 posted on 02/09/2023 3:55:41 PM PST by heavy metal (smiling improves your face value and makes people wonder what the hell you're up to... 😁)
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To: heavy metal

It’s the candidate who is prematurely doing something, but Trump is on to him.


290 posted on 02/09/2023 4:15:59 PM PST by firebrand
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To: heavy metal

Pretty sick and tired of covid appearing on every thread, regardless of the subject matter, by the way.


291 posted on 02/09/2023 4:17:07 PM PST by firebrand
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To: firebrand

sick of everything...

especially the division...

we’re never going to win the battle against the demonrats while we’re battling each other...


292 posted on 02/09/2023 4:26:18 PM PST by heavy metal (smiling improves your face value and makes people wonder what the hell you're up to... 😁)
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